The Chavez Legacy

Guests: George Ciccariello-Maher, Francisco Toro

Last week, former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died after a two-year battle with cancer at the age of 58. He was a polarizing figure in Venezuela and the world. To some, he was a populist hero championing the causes of the poor and bringing his “Bolivarian Revolution” to the country. To others he was an autocrat, a combative megalomaniac and even a clown. This hour, we’ll get two very different perspectives on Chavez’s legacy and his dream of creating a socialist state. We’ll also discuss what his death means for the country, the region and the United States. Our guests are GEORGE CICCARIELLO-MAHER, an assistant professor of Political Science at Drexel University and author of the forthcoming book, “We Created Chavez: A People’s History of the Venezuelan Revolution,” and FRANCISCO TORO, a Venezuelan journalist and co-author of “Blogging the Revolution: Caracas Chronicles and the Hugo Chavez Era.”